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Hurray (finally) – France to return stolen S. Korean royal document

France pledged Friday to return South Korean royal documents lootedduring its invasion more than a century ago, once a source of constantdiplomatic feud between the two countries.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who held 40-minute summit talks withhis South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak on the sidelines of the G20economic summit here, promised to lease the ancient documents andallow the five-year lease deal to be renewed. Lee said he will take it as an official pledge to return the textsfrom the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), stolen during the French invasionin 1866. South Korean civic groups have demanded the return of thecultural asset for years. Lee and Sarkosy also exchanged their views on the Seoul summit. Francewill play host to the next G20 summit in 2011. Source: Xinhua